People are using ChatGPT at the office, but hiding it from the boss. Here’s why. Plus, a self-driving 18-wheeler hits the road, facial recognition at airports, and Gen Z’s new side hustle. Also, caller Andrew from Florida saved a girl caught in a rip current with a drone.
ICE sightings on Ring: I thought this was interesting. In Los Angeles, people are using Amazon’s Neighbors app to warn each other about possible ICE raids. They’re sharing photos and videos showing where agents were spotted and what vehicles they were driving, plus tagging posts with ice cube emojis.
$4.20 flat fee
What it costs to ride Tesla’s new robotaxi in Austin, Texas. Right now, about 10 self-driving Model Ys are on the road, with a Tesla employee riding shotgun just in case. Elon says 1,000 more are coming in the next few months, with San Francisco and LA up next (paywall link). Good luck, traffic.
🗣️ Organize your thoughts: Driving to work with a busy brain? Use ChatGPT Voice Mode to transcribe your ideas, to-dos and plans while you speak. When you arrive, say something like: “Can you summarize this into bullet points, starting with the most important?” Brilliant, right?
Within 3 years
A brand-new gold car can lose around 34% of its value. Other colors that don’t age well? White drops about 32.1%, and black comes in at 31.9%. On the bright side (had to say it), yellow holds up best at 24%, with orange right behind at 24.4%. Yeah, I’m still not driving a pumpkin car though.
Reason #452 why I sold my Tesla: FSD was a pile of poopy hype. In repeated trials, Tesla’s Full Self-Driving feature rolled past stop signs and mowed down child-size mannequins like a GTA side quest. Elon says safety is top priority, which is reassuring to the mannequins’ plastic parents.
1,200 miles
How far Aurora’s self-driving 18-wheelers have already cruised through Texas. With no human behind the wheel, they’ve been hauling frozen pastries between Dallas and Houston. Just sensors, code and a CEO nervously vibing in the back seat.
📸 Talk about driving a point home: Rep. Nancy Mace displayed a censored still of her naked body at a congressional hearing, saying it was taken without her consent by her ex-fiancé’s security cam. She’s pushing two bills to beef up federal voyeurism laws. The ex denies it all. The Founding Fathers did not die for 4K creep shots.
🔘 Car buttons are coming back: Studies show touch screens slow your reaction time more than driving drunk or high. Back in the day, changing a setting took 10 seconds (paywall link). Now with touch screen menus? Try 45. Europe’s stepping in first.
Robotaxis for sale
Waymo’s self-driving cars will soon be up for grabs. But don’t count on turning a profit.
186 mph
That’s how fast a 22-year-old YouTuber was clocked on a highway. The helmet-cam footage of him speeding on a Connecticut highway at nearly 3x the speed limit went viral but also got him arrested for reckless driving. He’s since been released on a $5K bond, and grounded by the internet.
Waymo wants to sell you a $25K self-driving car
Owning your own robotaxi could soon be a reality. Plus, when did you made your first investment? Thanks to AI, people are doing it younger than ever. Also: Selfies with the pope, and why Apple wants you to delete Chrome right now.
🚗 Want to own your own Waymo? Not me, thank you. This is a sneaky way to offload old inventory. Why? Tesla’s rolling out its own self-driving taxis in June, and they’re supposed to cost just 20% to 25% of Waymo’s.
🚐 Uber and Volkswagen are teaming up: They’re launching a robotaxi service in the U.S. with self-driving electric microbuses. First stop? Los Angeles, starting in late 2026. But don’t get too excited just yet. You’ll still see a human behind the wheel until at least 2027. Why? They’ve gotta wait for those permits to clear.
🎶 Auto-tune up: Driving an older car without Android Auto or Apple CarPlay? Load your favorite songs onto a USB flash drive, plug it into your ride’s USB port and rock on. Just stick to common formats like MP3 or AAC. It’s like turning your car into a Spotify time capsule.
🚨 Cybertruck recall: Tesla is recalling nearly all Cybertrucks to fix an exterior panel that could just fly off while driving. Own one? Head to a Tesla service center for a free fix before your truck starts shedding parts on the highway.
👔 From hoodies to high-end: Remember when tech CEOs’ unofficial uniforms were T-shirts and dorky sneakers? Now, Mark Zuckerberg rocks a $895,000 watch and Jeff Bezos is at fashion shows in leather and sunglasses. It’s not just that they grew up; tech drives our economy, and the billionaires in charge aren’t hiding their wealth anymore. In 1999, when Bezos was already a billionaire, he was driving a 1997 Honda Accord. Those days are long gone!
44%
Percentage of young Americans who don’t want to own a car. Adults ages 18 to 34 would rather call an Uber or Lyft or rent a ride on Turo. But we’re not heading to a robo-taxi future just yet; a solid 52% of all folks don’t trust self-driving cars. I won’t get in one.
$1,500 in fines
If you don’t clear snow and ice from your car. That includes the roof! Most states have laws against driving with snow on your car. As an Arizona gal, I had no idea. You’d probably end up paying a lot more than $1,500 if a giant slab of snow hit the person behind you.
Put it down: A new survey reveals the average American checks their phone 205 times daily, or once every five minutes. That’s a 42.3% increase from 2023. The biggest culprits? Checking phones right after waking up, while on the toilet and, yes, while driving.